Karaoke bar manager charged with extortion

Apichet Taweelarb, 34, manager of Melody Karaoke Bar near Pongphet Intersection, was also charged with running the bar without a permit.

Atthaphan Jaithiang and girlfriend Areewan Satham filed a police complaint on Wednesday that they were overcharged of the food and services at the bar.

The bill they showed to police said that they had to pay Bt2,250 for 45 bottles of mixer, Bt4,400 per hour for two hostesses and Bt400 for four dishes of sweets.

They told police that they were surrounded by five staff of the bar and prevented from leaving even though they agreed to pay half the huge bill.

The staff allegedly snatched his mobile phone then his girlfriend's after they tried to contact their friends for help. They described how bar staff then threatened to frisk them for the money.

Police issued the charge after questioning three staffs of the karaoke bar. They admitted that they surrounded Atthaphan and Areewan but denied that they did not extort them.

Hitting a bum note - October 22, 2009.